Transcript The Malay Peoples

The Malay People
Migration across the Pacific
1000 B.C.E. – 1200 C.E.
By: Katie Zheng, Naveena Karusala,
and Amanda Richards
Migrations began in 4000 BC near
Taiwan and reached New Zealand
by 1250 AD.
Near Oceania- cultural
diffusion led to the
Lapita people.
Bright spots indicate last
three and most difficult
migrations in the Pacific.
Migrators
brought the
gourd
(used to
make
containers)
and sweet
potatoes
(source of
nutrition)
to New
Zealand.
Cultural impact of Malay
migration- undecorated
plainware, pottery.
Used knowledge of
the winds to travel
against the wind to
easily return back
with it.
Modern replications of double hulled
voyaging canoes- made navigation
and settlement possible.
Cultural impact- monumental religious structures called
moai, central cultural focus
Impact: Pacific Islands
Political:
The Pacific Islands were
virtually untouched before the
advent of the Malay migrants,
who established small colonies.
These colonies were run by
leaders sort of like chieftains, but
were often vacated in the quest
for other colonies.
In New Zealand, some colonies
settled after traveling from West
Polynesia and stayed. These
people became known as the
Maori and are present in New
Zealand to this day.
Intellectual Innovation:
Several sailing techniques were
created, such as:
-Against the wind: search and
return voyages in which the
travelers searched for habitable
islands and returned to their
original colonies.
-Across the wind: voyages in
which the travelers made note of
the islands in case they could not
sail directly home.
-Downwind: voyages in which
the travelers had to take
circuitous, differing routes to
return and discover intermediate
islands—this was the most
difficult because navigators had
to understand different weather
systems.
Technology:
The Lapita people used some revolutionary
technologies in their time, such as bronze
metallurgy, canoe building, and stone tools.
While they did know how to use bronze, they
did not use it for tools simply because there
was not very much bronze where they lived.
The canoes they built were very important
because these allowed them to transverse
the Pacific and colonize many islands. The
basic design of this canoe did not change for
a very long time.
To this day, it is a mystery as to how these
people navigated to other islands—they had
no maps or other navigational devices.
Religion:
In New Zealand, the Maori
people introduced a new religion,
which consisted of a belief in
“mana,” which was a magic
presence in all things, manmade
and natural.
Their predecessors and the
original Malay migrants, the
Lapita, were polytheistic with no
real organized religion.
Economy:
The societies established by the Polynesian
and the Lapita (who were the Polynesian
people’s ancestors) were largely based on
agriculture. They grew yams, taros, and
bananas, as well as breadfruit.
They also had large livestock and flightless
birds as sources of meat.
The Lapita established intricate trade
networks all throughout Oceania, through
which they obtained different commodities
and spread their own art and agriculture.
Art/Architecture:
The Lapita are known for their
intricate pottery, which has
stylized faces on it. This pottery
later became Polynesian
plainware.
Jewelry made out of shells was
also popular in Lapita culture, as
was pottery made out of obsidian
rock.
To this day, jewelry and dances
probably created in the Lapita
culture exist in Maori culture.
The Easter Island heads were
created by the Polynesian people.
Society:
The Lapita had hierarchical, hereditary
chiefdoms, in which the chief’s son was the
next leader of the tribe. The Maori similarly
have a kinship-based chiefdom system. 500
people or so of common descent form one
tribe, and they sometimes band with other
tribes that have similar ancestry to overcome
threats.
Nonetheless, every tribe is an independent
and different social unit, and every tribe is
self-sufficient.
Impact: East Asia
Political:
New evidence suggests that the
Polynesian migration originated
in Taiwan, due to similarities in
mitochondrial DNA between the
Taiwanese aborigines and the
Polynesian people.
In Taiwanese aboriginal groups
today, patrilineal chiefdoms are
generally the governmental
structure, something that largely
resembles the Lapita people of
the Pacific Islands.
Intellectual Innovations:
The Polynesian people are
supposed to have radiated out
from Taiwan according to one of
three theories:
-Express-train: In this theory,
the people traveled from Taiwan
to Melanasia and directly from
there on to many other
Polynesian countries.
-Entangled bank: The people
integrated themselves into the
cultural and genetic identity of
many places, eventually
spreading to Polynesia.
-Slow boat: Similar to the
express-train idea, but a longer
stay in Melanasia.
Very sophisticated astronomy
was present during this period.
Technology:
Balsam log canoes are a theory proposed by
one archaeologist by the name of Thor
Heyerdahl concerning the Polynesian
migration.
Most of the Polynesian people use the same
language, which has very few similarities with
the Taiwanese languages.
Religion:
A largely pantheistic religion is
practiced by most Taiwanese
aborigines, something that
resembles the Lapita people’s
polytheistic religion.
Shamanism was also popular in
this time, as was ancestor
worship.
Economy:
Largely a trade and barter system, though
there is very little communication between
the tribes, similar to the Lapita people.
Art/Architecture:
The Taiwanese aborigines
practice ritual tattooing.
However, their architecture was
typically very humble and small,
focusing on utility rather than
appearance.
This is similar to the humble
architecture of the Lapita.
Society:
The tribes of Taiwan, like their counterparts
in the Lapita, are chiefdoms in which the men
and women are largely equal. However, these
societies are patrilineal.
Chronology
First millennium B.C.E. – Malay immigrants begin to move into Southeast Asia.
They arrive in a simple yet effective canoe known as an outrigger canoe.
700 B.C.E. – Dongson-style pottery begins to show up in New Guinea. This
suggests that Malay peoples have already begun settling in places like Malaysia
and Brunei at this time.
500 B.C.E. – By the time of the Bronze Age, the Malay Peninsula has become a
center for maritime trade. It is an important area for seafarers from around Asia
and even as far away as Egypt.
420 B.C.E. – This is the earliest indication of human presence in Tonga, though
people probably arrived even earlier.
200 B.C.E. – Malay people from Southeast Asia introduce the long knife as they
migrate to the Philippines and Indonesia. They also bring their expertise in
fighting with daggers, spears, and bows.
200 B.C.E.-1000 C.E. – During the Iron Age, artistry develops, becoming
especially important in the Philippines. Jewelry and body tattooing are two
major developments.
100 B.C.E. – The Malay have reached the Marquesas despite its relative
inaccessibility.
Chronology Continued
1 C.E. – In the Philippines, Malay peoples display their skill in engineering by
carving mountains into terraces that could be used to grow rice.
200-300 C.E. – Malay kingdoms appear on the Malay Peninsula, though the area
does not have plains extensive or fertile enough to support a dense population.
500 C.E. – By this point, the Malay have migrated as far as Japan, Hawaii,
Easter Island, and Madagascar. The Malay plants, animals, language, and music
that have shown up in these new areas evidence their arrival.
682 C.E. – The first Malay text, known as the Kedukan Bukit Inscription, is
written. Its language displays similarities to the Pallava (dynasty of Southern
India) language family.
800 C.E. – Seafarers make the long journey to New Zealand and colonize it.
First millennium C.E. – Malay sultanates arrive and initiate trade with the Orang
Asli, a group of people native to Peninsular Malaysia. The Malays’ arrival forced
the Orang Asli to move further inland to continue their isolated practices.
1000-1200 C.E. – During the Porcelain Age, trade flourishes between the Malay
and China, India, and Arabia. Naturally, one of the major goods that is traded
during this time is porcelain.
Comparisons
In both East Asia and the Pacific Islands, the basic political structure was a
chiefdom, which was largely patrilineal in nature.
Sophisticated navigation techniques were developed in the interest of
exploration.
While the East Asian Polynesian peoples were pantheistic and believed in
shamanism, the Pacific Islanders believe in a sort of magic present in all human
beings.
While the East Asian and Pacific Island architecture is very similar, there are
some differences, such as the emphasis on body art in East Asia and the
emphasis on jewelry in the Pacific Islands. This probably stemmed from cultural
changes that took place because of location.
Both East Asian and the Pacific Island Polynesians were focused on navigational
and seafaring technology, such as canoes.
In both cultures, there is an emphasis on agriculture and trade—however, the
trade in the Pacific Islands was more widespread and varied, due to the fact that
there were more islands and therefore more variety in the Pacific Islands than
there were places in East Asia.
Self-sufficient tribes that had some separation but could band together in the
face of a mutual threat were the norm.
Change over Time
Travel around Polynesia and South Asia required great skill with maritime
technology. This began with the Malays’ sturdy outrigger canoes that were
used to reach Southeast Asia. Gradually, this involved into great navigational
technology that allowed the Malays to travel longer distances. It also became
useful in maritime trade.
In the Bismark Archipelago, a form of pottery known as Lapita Ware developed.
It spread to other areas such as New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa along with
many other features of Polynesian culture. However, the pottery disappeared by
the time New Zealand was discovered, and replaced with other crafts such as
fish hooks and stone crafts.
Around 500 B.C. bronze became prominent in Vietnam in the form of large,
decorative drums. Bronze also had other metallurgical uses in the area. To the
northwest, similar drums developed in China; however, the Chinese came to
build even more elaborate drums as well as containers for cowrie shells,
expanding upon the role of bronze in their culture.
Interaction with Indian traders along maritime trade routes introduced the
Malays to Indian religions and ideas. After many centuries, these Indian
traditions had become a part of Malay culture and politics.
Present Day Malay Populations
Major Malay Islands
Population according to 2010
census
Indonesia
242,968,342
Malaysia
28,274,729
Philippines
99,900,177
Singapore
4,701,069
Papua New Guinea
6,064,515
Role in Modern Day
The descendents of original Malay people now make up the citizens of more
than 1000 islands in the Pacific, including mainland Australia, New Zealand, and
Hawaii.
The Malay culture has split into different sectors, including Polynesia,
Micronesia, and Melanesia.
Historic Malay cultural aspects, such as the Moai (statues in Easter Island),
textile work, wood carvings, and Aboriginal rock art, is the basis of attraction for
modern day tourism.
The people of modern day Polynesia and surrounding islands are heavily
influenced by outside cultures, so it is prone to cultural fluctuation.
Numerous Pacific islands have been used for military bases by other nations
such as the US, UK, and Germany, notably during World War II.
The Malay people have been the subject of many studies of mitochondrial DNA
lineages in order to determine the original population of the migrating people,
considering there is a very small literature base for population records.
The Roles
Katie Zheng:
Part 1: Spread/impact of Malay people on regions
Part 4: Comparisons
Naveena Karusala:
Part 3: Maps, charts, or images
Part 5: Role of the Malay people in today’s world
Amanda Richards:
Part 2: Chronology
Part 4: Change over time